Panel joint with sealing strips



y 1967 N. B. ELLIOTT ETAL 3,320,706

PANEL JOINT WITH SEALING STRIPS Filed March 15, 1965 FIG] United StatesPatent 3,320,706 PANEL JOINT WITH SEALING STRIPS Norman Barton Elliott,25 Blenheim Road, London, and

Robert Henry Greensmith, 17 Amberley Road, Buckhnrst Hill, England FiledMar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,613 Claims priority, application GreatBritain, Mar. 19, 1964, 11,661/ 64 2 Claims. (Cl. 52393) This inventionconcerns improvements in or modifications of the roof and likestructures including wall structures, comprising, for example,prefabricated building panels which are assembled together in the sameplane in edge to edge relation, wherein at least some of the abuttingedges of the panels are formed with upwardly (or outwardly) openingchannels and wherein the abutting channels of adjacent panels are fittedwith sealing strips comprising longitudinal edge portions which areengaged respectively one in each of the two abutting channels, each ofsaid strips being provided between said edge portions with alongitudinal rib which is beaded along its outer edge and adapted to beforced between the meeting edges of the channels so as to close saidmeeting edges on the inside of the panels.

The sealing strips may be of substantially vU cross section arrangedwith the limbs thereof engaged respectively one in each of the twochannels with the outer walls of the channels sandwiched between thelimbs of the seal and with the closed end of the U covering the upper orouter free edges of said outer walls of the channels.

The object of the present invention is the provision of improved meansfor bridging and sealing the channels of abutting edges of adjacentpanels to ensure that penetration of water between the edges of adjacentpanels is prevented.

According to this invention there is provided a roof, Wall or the likestructure comprising prefabricated building panels which are assembledin the same or substanti ally the same plane in edge to edge relation,and wherein at least some of the abutting edges of the panels are formedwith upwardly (or outwardly) opening channels and wherein the abuttingchannels of adjacent panels are fitted with substantially U sectionsealing strips arranged with the longitudinal edge portions thereofengaged respectively one in each of the two abutting channels with theclosed end of the U covering the upper or outer edges of the outer wallsof the channels, and which is characterised in that the opposed outerfaces of the outer walls of the channels have applied thereto a coveringof water impervious material which coverings are urged tightly into faceto face contact when the U-section sealing strip is engaged in saidchannels.

The said covering material can be of strip form and used in combinationwith a water repellent composition.

Alternatively, the covering material may be a synthetic plastics foamand preferably one having a closed cell structure, that is cells whichdo not inter-communioate; suitable synthetic plastics foam may bepolyureathane, polyethylene or P.V.C. The foam may be impregnated orcoated with a water repellent solution.

Another suitable covering material is so called mastic material inribbon form, by which is meant a nonsetting composition which maycontain nitrile, butyl, uncured rubber, bitumen and oils, and designedto accommodate such movement as might be expected in the joint withoutimpairing the seal provided thereby.

When using a covering of impregnated synthetic plastics foam thearrangement is such that when said U section sealing strip is fitted inposition the impregnated foam material on said opposed outer faces ofthe outer Walls of the channels are urged very tightly into intimateface to face contact, and the resulting two layers are each compressedinto a thickness which is a fraction of the original thickness, forexample each covering is compressed into a quarter of its originalthickness.

From experiments it has been found that the seal provided bypolyurethane foam impregnated with a water repellent solution andcompressed as described above is substantially impermeable to water,which is partly due to the fact that being a cellular material thecontacting faces of the foam layers present minute matching andinterlocking areas which provide a complete bar against the penetrationtherethrough of water.

A particularly suitable water repellent solution is cutback orthinned-out bitumen.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood, two embodimentsthereof using a synthetic plastic foam covering material will now bedescribed by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section taken through two abutting roof panelsand illustrating one embodiment, and

FIGURE 2 is a similar view illustrating a second embodiment.

Referring firstly to FIGURE 1 of said drawings, this view shows two roofdeck units 1 comprising frames 2, which are bolted or otherwise securedtogether.

Each unit 1 comprises a cover 3 of P.V.C. formed along one or more ofthe edges of the panel with channel section portions 4 in which arelocated longitudinal edge portions 5 of a substantially U section P.V.C.sealing and bridging strip having its capping or closed end 6 coveringthe upper outer edges 4a of the outer walls of the channel portions 4.

Each of the outer opposed faces of the outer walls of the adjacentchannels has adhered thereto a strip or covering 7 of synthetic plasticsfoam, that in the embodiment being described being urethane foamimpregnated with a water repellent solution, such as thinned outbitumen. Other covering materials referred to herein may alternativelybe used.

As previously explained, the nature of urethane foam is such that it canbe compressed into about a quarter of its thickness, and the cellularform results in the opposed faces 7a matching and interlocking so as toprovide a seal which is substantially impermeable to water.

The underside of the cover or capping portion '6 of the sealing strip isformed with a wedge-like projection 6a which makes sealing contact withthe upper edges of the inter-engaging layers of foam 7, and thiswedge-like part 601 also exerts a locking action on the upper parts 4bof the outer walls of the channels 4 and causes these parts 412 toengage inwardly and downwardly sloping faces 8 of the sealing strip andso acts to lock the strip in position.

Referring now to the second embodiment illustrated by FIGURE 2, thearrangement and construction here is very similar to that of FIGURE 1and the same reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts. Inthis embodiment, however, the lower portions 5a of the longitudinal edgeportions 5 of the sealing strip are thickened to provide locating andretaining nibs which engage and become trapped in enlarged portions 40of the channels 4, the mouths of these channels only being sufficientlywide after the thickened portion 5a of the sealing strip has been forcedtherethrough to accept the thickness of the edge portions 5 adjacent tothe capping part 6. In this embodiment, the wedge-like projection 6a ismade small in comparison with that shown in FIG- URE 1, because in thissecond embodiment there is no need to bend the upper ends of the outerwalls of the channels outwardly.

Synthetic plastics foam other than urethane maybe used such aspolyethylene or P.V.C. foam. Alternatively,

a coveringmaterial of so called mastic material in ribbon form may beused,by which is meant a non-setting composition which may containnitrile, butyl, uncured rubber, bitumen and oils and designed toaccommodate such movement as might beexpected in the joint withoutimparing the seal provided thereby.

We claim:

1. A roof, Wall or the like structure, comprising prefabricated buildingpanelsassembled in a common plane in edge to edge relation, outwardlyopening channels formed on said panels at their abutting edges, aU-section sealing strip having the parallel side limbs thereof fittedone in each of the two channels at the abutting edges of two adjacentpanels with the closed end of the -U covering the outer edges of theouter walls of said channels, and a compressible covering of waterimpervious material applied to the outer faces of the outer walls of thechannels, the compressible covering of the'channels of two adjacentpanels being urged tightly into face to face contact to provide awaterproof seal by fitment of the side limbs of the U section sealingstrip in said channels.

2. A roof, wall or the like structure, comprising prefabricated buildingpanels assembled in a common plane in edge to edge relation, a syntheticplastic covering on each of said panels, an outwardly opening channelformed integralwith an edge of-said covering, a compressible covering ofwater impervious material applied to theouter facesof the outer walls ofthe channels, a U-section sealing strip having the parallel side limbsthereof fitted one in each of the two channels at the abutting edges oftwo adjacent panels with the closed end of the U covering the outeredges of the outer-walls of the channels, the waterimpervious coveringmaterial of two abutting channels being urged tightly into face to facecontact to provide a waterproof seal by fitment'of the side limbs of theU section sealing strip in said channels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,90411/1939' Jorgensen 52-459 2,405,643 8/1946 Crot a 54465 3,057,44410/1962 Walberg -52459 X FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner;

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Examiner.

1. A ROOF, WALL OR THE LIKE STRUCTURE, COMPRISING PREFABRICATED BUILDINGPANELS ASSEMBLED IN A COMMON PLANE IN EDGE TO EDGE RELATION, OUTWARDLYOPENING CHANNELS FORMED ON SAID PANELS AT THEIR ABUTTING EDGES, AU-SECTION SEALING STRIP HAVING THE PARALLEL SIDE LIMBS THEREOF FITTEDONE IN EACH OF THE TWO CHANNELS AT THE ABUTTING EDGES OF TWO ADJACENTPANELS WITH THE CLOSED END OF THE U COVERING THE OUTER EDGES OF THEOUTER WALLS OF SAID CHANNELS, AND A COMPRESSIBLE COVERING OF WATERIMPERVIOUS MATERIAL APPLIED TO THE OUTER FACES OF THE OUTER WALLS OF THECHANNELS, THE COMPRESSIBLE COVERING OF THE CHANNELS OF TWO ADJACENTPANELS BEING URGED TIGHTLY INTO FACE TO FACE CONTACT TO PROVIDE AWATERPROOF SEAL BY FITMENT OF THE SIDE LIMBS OF THE U SECTION SEALINGSTRIP IN SAID CHANNELS.